Continuing the motorhome trip through New Zealand, now stopping in Queenstown and Milford Sound.

1st day – Thursday (05/31/2012)

After a few hours on the road since Wanaka – read about previous days here – , we finally arrived at Queenstown, the city we were most looking forward to. It is the world capital of extreme sports and we left Brazil wanting to do everything we could, especially the famous bungy jumping. The first impression of the city was the best possible. Surrounded by mountains, a lake, with cute little houses, organized traffic, no trash on the streets...very beautiful.

As we had called the company tour of the Jet Boat – Shotover Jet – from the road and we knew we would have time to do the tour, we went straight to the city's extreme sports shopping center. Yes! That's right! There is a place where all the tours are gathered and you can buy and book everything at once, getting several discounts. It was VERY worth it when I researched it. Just the tour to Milford Sound that I thought it was better to buy from the same company as ours campervan.

We parked our campervan in a paid parking lot very close by, we bought our tickets Jet Boat, Bungy, Swing and Rafting and we went to have a snack at a mini restaurant right in front of the tourist center, since the tour left in 15 minutes and we were hungry.

Shotover Canyons Speedboat Tour

We returned to the center at the agreed time and the bus Shotover Jet left promptly towards the river where the tour would be. After about 20 minutes on the bus, we arrived at the place where we caught the boat. We left our things at the locker that they offered and we got on the boat, without many expectations, knowing only that it would be a high-speed boat ride.

Dude, it was the BEST SPEEDBOAT TRIP OF MY LIFE! In addition to going at very high speeds, the pilot does a lot of crazy things among the rocks in the canyon. It's really crazy!!! We sat in the front seat and I highly recommend it to people who don't have heart problems. It's amazing how close the boat gets to the rocks and leaves you with the feeling of a 100% beat. The adrenaline is really high. We left the tour and I made sure to buy the photos and video of the tour, even though the price was extortionate (almost another ride per person). The photos are great and the video, despite the sound, is hilarious. A memory for the rest of your life, for sure!

We returned to the city super excited about what we were going to experience in the next few days. The first experience had been a success and of course we wanted much more! We walked around the city a little and ended up stopping to eat at McDonalds inside a shopping mall near the casino. After we were satisfied, we went to the two casinos in the city to keep up the tradition…lol We won a little money at the roulette and decided it was time to leave, heading straight to where the campervan was parked.

We went to the holiday park which we thought was the best for us because it was close to everything. The location is really great, as are the facilities. We took our showers and then had dinner inside the campervan, since it was freezing cold outside. We decided to set up the bed downstairs (the campervan had two double beds – one upstairs, a bit claustrophobic, and another downstairs, which required more organization and work) and we slept very well.

2nd day – Friday (01/06/2012)

We woke up very early to catch the excursion rafting in the river Kawarau and it was freezing cold We had a quick breakfast at campervan and we went to the agreed place in the city. Since we still had about 10 minutes to walk around, we decided to stop at a bakery and buy hot chocolate and a croissant chocolate that was simply wonderful! I don't remember the name of the bakery, but it is on the main street of the city, very close to the tourist center.

Rafting on the River Kawarau

The company bus arrived late, but it arrived! We were running out of time, because in the afternoon we were going to do the bungy + swing, so we couldn't be late for the morning tour. We got on the bus and stayed on it for about 30 minutes, until we arrived at a place to change into the appropriate clothes and store our things. What a cool structure they have…

The problem is that even after putting on the clothes neoprene, we continued to be cold (it was about 5 degrees). With everyone dressed, the company took us by bus to the place where we would have to get on the boat and for that we had to do a mini trail that helped to warm us up a little.

We got into the boat in the river Kawarau, because the Shotover River in winter requires a helicopter transfer to the top which makes everything much more expensive. Our boat instructor was a descendant of Maori and his English was impossible to understand. We were lucky that the river was calm, so there wasn't much to do. Lucky and unlucky, right? Because we paid a lot for a tour that we thought would be full of adrenaline and it didn't happen. Later I found out that the tour on the Shotover River, the same one as the Jet Boat, is much better than the one on the Kawarau River. This tour wasn't worth it, even though the view was really cool. It ended up being a boat tour and not rafting.

We returned to the base where our things were stored and were able to use the sauna for a while, which was great because it was still very cold. Afterwards, we showered there and took the bus back to the city. When we got there, we took the opportunity to eat (again at McDonalds) and use the computers at the tourist center to give news to our families.

Nevis Bungy

It's almost time to catch the bus to the jump site. bungy and swing would happen, they called us to be weighed. Our weights were written on our hands, as well as the numbers of our jumps and then we got on the bus to continue on our way. The view of the tour is very cool: we pass by the lake, then by wineries and then we start climbing a mountain with desert-like vegetation that in winter is covered in snow.

We arrived at the place where the jumps take place and where all the preparations are taking place. I was in a panic and Celo was doing great, very excited. They put us in a kind of special suit with hooks and weighed us again. They wrote the weights on our hands again. (NOTE: Note that until now we hadn't seen where we were going to jump from and now I think that it's clear that they do it that way on purpose.)

They directed us to the jump location and I took a reality check when I saw how absurdly high it is! I'll try to explain so you can understand how I was feeling.

Explaining the Bungy Jump NEVIS

The place is a valley. We are on top of one of the mountains in this valley. From this base where we are, a cable car leaves and goes forward to a little house in the middle of the valley, about 160 meters high. When you look down into the valley, you see a half-empty river, with several rocks. When you get on the cable car, you see a person jumping into that immensity, with a panicked scream at first and then an absurd silence. Then you gather courage and keep looking to see if the person is okay... after 8 seconds of falling headfirst, he is pulled up by the rope and then falls for a few more seconds, doing this twice. After the second time, he pulls a rope from his clothes and a little chair is created so that he can sit and be pulled up without being upside down. Crazy thing!!!

When I understood the whole process, I went into a complete panic. The situation got worse when I arrived at the jump house and found myself facing a glass floor, showing my height in relation to a river that was tiny, so far away. I realized that I didn't want to be there, but guess what...the money from the bungy is non-refundable and non-transferable, meaning I would lose my NZ$375 (pack of 2) bungys + 1 swing – approximately 700 reais) if I turned yellow. I tried to calm down, but without success.

Celo was the first to be called of the three who took the cable car. How calm he was, my God… The guy from the company checked if his clothes were OK, asked a few questions, made some jokes and I filmed and took pictures of the moment. Suddenly the guy told him to sit on a chair so he could attach the rope and started explaining how he should pull the rope so that the chair for the ascent could be assembled. It seemed like he was teaching how to break eggs, he was talking about the subject so simply. All I could think was: “Dude, repeat this explanation a thousand times!!! What if the person doesn't understand properly (with adrenaline in their head it's hard to understand another language) and messes up...they could die from the fall! ".

My boyfriend very wisely repeated everything he had explained and confirmed that he had understood everything correctly. He had. Okay, it was time. After he looked at the camera the guy had indicated to take pictures, he had to get up from his chair and walk to the gap from where he was going to jump. The guy kept talking to him, explained that he was going to let the rope fall and that he would feel pressure, and right after that, he said he could jump. I felt my heart in my mouth at that moment. Seeing my boyfriend there, ready to jump into the abyss was the WORST feeling of my life so far. I was filming everything to record the moment, despite my shaking hands. When he took the leap and finally jumped, I thought it was the end of the world. He screamed and disappeared from my field of vision, much to my greater panic. I walked to the edge of the house, protected by a fence, to make sure that everything had gone well with his fall. After about 20 seconds of him falling and bouncing, he was sitting in the chair as he should have and was about to climb up. What a relief! He started to be pulled up and soon I could see him, with enormous joy on his face. The guy from the company pulled him into the house, after some desperate pleas from me and in a short time, although it seemed like an eternity, he was there, safe and sound. I was so happy that I hugged him with all the strength in the world =D It seemed like the nightmare had passed.

Na na ni na no. I had just taken a break.

After my boyfriend, the other guy who took the cable car was next and I realized that it would be right after him. The panic came back, even more intense. After the guy came back, they called me to the chair. I listened to everything clearly, trying not to forget to breathe. I asked him to repeat to see if I had understood, I repeated what I understood to get confirmation that everything was OK and that was great, because it gave me some security and time to calm down. But, when I walked towards the abyss, all my calm disappeared. My legs started to shake, I couldn't move, much less look at the abyss. I started to have palpitations and couldn't breathe properly, so I ended up asking the guy from the company to give me some time. He said that we had to jump as soon as possible, because there were other people in line and that ended up pissing me off, but it helped me forget the panic. I walked slowly with my eyes closed to the abyss, holding on tightly to the guy from the company. I took the necessary photos and got ready to jump. How I wished I could be pushed, but the guy said they couldn't push anyone. It's horrible to have to take a running start and jump into the abyss. It feels like a suicidal activity, and the last thing I want to do with my life is end it.

After gathering courage for a while, I jumped. I jumped screaming loudly, with my eyes closed, but after a few seconds of falling, my screams simply disappeared. I kept my eyes closed for about 5 seconds, which seemed like hours, then I decided to open my eyes to see what was happening. That was the time the rope pulled me up and I bounced, as the guy had explained to me. I did this twice and pulled the rope, following the instructions he had given me. When I pulled the rope, the chair was assembled and I heard a bang that made me think I had done something wrong and was going to fall to my death. I held on to the rope and kept hoping that moment would end. I couldn't enjoy the experience much because I kept thinking that the ropes were going to fail and I was going to die. I enjoyed the view after I had been climbing for a few seconds and I especially enjoyed the moment I stepped on the little house and was able to hold my boyfriend. But other than that, I didn't enjoy anything else. I should have read more about the company's history and all the experience they have to feel more confident, but I don't know if that would have been enough for me to enjoy everything.

I left that place feeling super relieved, but within a few minutes I remembered that I had one more adventure to do – THE BIGGEST SWING IN THE WORLD!! At least this one would be with my boyfriend, so it would be less bad. And it was. We jumped holding each other, looking at each other and after only about 3 seconds of falling, we started to swing as if we were on a pendulum, hence the name. I loved it. swing for being calmer than the bungy and being able to jump next to someone who gave me all the security in the world… I enjoyed it a lot more =D

We bought all the photos and videos possible, spending a fortune, but we were satisfied. We did it! We were super proud of ourselves and still couldn't believe that we had lived through that, you know? Pretty crazy.

Ledge Bungy

We took the bus back to the city and there I started to feel a headache and nausea. After we arrived in the city, we went to the other location where we would do the third and final skydive. bungy, the Ledge Bungy. This would be from a mountain that is in the city itself, so the fall is looking at the little houses below.

I gave up jumping because I wasn't feeling well, but like this bungy It was practically free (NZ$30), I didn't feel too guilty. My boyfriend went and insisted on going again, since it was so cheap to go again. The cool thing about this bungy is that despite the height being much lower than Nevis, the jump is freestyle. His first jump was with his legs and arms open, jumping right off the cliff. A few seconds of falling, a few bounces and he was back, super well and ready for the next one.

On the second jump, he decided to fall backwards and asked for help from the guy from the company to hold him back and then let him go. After posing for pictures, he waited for the guy to let him go, but was surprised by a very bad joke – the guy who tied his clothes and rope shouted saying that he had forgotten something. At that moment, my boyfriend tried to grab the arm of the guy who was holding him, but he couldn't. He fell in panic, thinking he was going to die, since something had been forgotten. Panic, panic, panic. I was far away, on the bridge, filming him. When I saw him falling without screaming with adrenaline, I realized that something was strange and I started shouting asking if he was okay. After a while, he said yes, to my relief. After we met up, he told me about the guys' joke and I don't need to tell you how pissed I was.

We left the jump site and enjoyed the view from up there, which is charming and very romantic at night. After a while we went down to stroll around the city. We walked around, had dinner and went to the casino, for less time than the day before. We returned to the campervan, we take baths and we sleep with the feeling of having accomplished our goal. =D

3rd day – Saturday (02/06/2012)

We woke up very early, had breakfast inside the motorhome and then at the bakery again and the tour bus stopped Milford Sound arrived punctually where agreed. The problem was that they sold a bus that had a glass roof and the one that was there didn't have one, because there was some problem. We didn't get a refund, because there was a minimum clause in the contract that said this could happen. I was very upset, but there was nothing I could do, right...

It was very cold and rainy, but we decided to go anyway and hoped the weather would improve. Unfortunately, this did not happen.

The tour lasted the whole day and had several stops along the way between Queenstown and Milford Sound. We stopped in the small town Te Anau halfway to buy snacks and souvenirs. We continued along the road and began to see beautiful waterfalls and a tunnel that took about 100 years to build. We saw an accident on the road, unfortunately, which made us thank God for the decision we made not to go campervan until there. We had read that the journey was long and the roads were very winding and could be dangerous.

When we arrived at our destination, we got on the boat for the tour and loved what we saw!

Milford Sound

Milford Sound is a stunning fjord located in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island, within Fiordland National Park. Formed by glaciers during the ice ages, the fjord boasts stunning scenery with steep mountains, spectacular waterfalls such as Stirling Falls and a wealth of wildlife. The area is accessible via the Milford Road and is popular with tourists for cruises, kayaking and hiking, including the famous Milford Track. With a humid climate that enhances its misty beauty, Milford Sound is one of New Zealand’s most iconic and visited natural attractions.

It was very cold and raining a lot, but we still made sure to spend some time outside the boat, struggling to enjoy the special scenery. We took some photos, saw seals and then had lunch on the boat, since we had bought the complete package. I don't think the lunch was worth it, so if I could go back in time, I would bring my own sandwich and a chocolate bar to help warm me up.

We loved the place and left wanting to come back when the weather was better, because the view must be even more enchanting. The trip is definitely worth it, even in the rain!

When we arrived in town, we made sure to have dinner at a nice restaurant to end our time in Queenstown on a high note. We went to a Japanese restaurant on the same street as the McDonalds and Casino mall, but I can't remember the name. My dish, a chicken ramen, was OK, but Celo's dish with giant prawns was delicious.

We returned to our little house and got ready for bed. We felt like we wanted to spend more time in Queenstown, but we had already bought tickets to Melbourne for the next day, so we had to continue our journey.

4th day – Sunday (06/03/2012)

We woke up not too early, had breakfast in the car and packed our bags, as we had to return the motorhome and return to Australia. We left a little early to find the airport and everything went well. We returned the campervan to the airport itself and as we had paid for the insurance “stress free“It was the fastest car delivery of our lives, because they didn't check anything at all.

We made our check in, we spent our last New Zealand dollars paying for boarding fees and snacks in the departure lounge and waited a long time for our flight, which was very punctual. The airport was lovely, super small and cozy. There's even a duty free there, very pretty. We looked at the photos and read the Melbourne guide to confirm what we were going to see at the next destination.

See you soon New Zealand! It was great meeting you! So great that we would recommend you to anyone and we want to come back, even if it's just for a few days. Thank you for being so welcoming and beautiful. Keep it up. <3

To learn more about our 30-day trip to Australia and New Zealand, click on the links below:

• Summary of 30 days in Australia and New Zealand
• Itinerary – Sydney and Blue Mountains (5 days)
• Itinerary – Auckland, Waitomo and Rotorua (3 and a half days)
• Itinerary – Christchurch, Arthur's Pass, Franz Josef and Fox Glacier (4 days)
• Itinerary – Queenstown and Milford Sound (4 days)
• Itinerary – Melbourne, Great Ocean Road, Philip Island and Yarra Valley (7 days)
• Itinerary – Brisbane, Surfers Paradise and Gold Coast (5 days)
• Itinerary – Alice Springs (Australian outback) (5 days)

To book tours in Queenstown, use Civitatis: